Alighting point determination method and alighting point determination device

ABSTRACT

An alighting point determination method is used in a vehicle allocation system configured to move a vehicle to a predetermined point in response to a request from a user. The vehicle allocation system includes a processor. The processor operates to: set a predetermined range including a point associated with a first user; specify a second user who is expected to alight in the predetermined range; acquire a request point included in the request from each user; calculate an access cost for each user to reach the request point from a common point at which the users including at least the first user and the second user alight; and calculate as the predetermined point the common point obtained based on the calculated access cost for each of the first user and the second user.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an alighting point determination methodand an alighting point determination apparatus that are used in avehicle allocation system.

BACKGROUND ART

A system is known, which is configured to calculate one or morerecommended boarding/alighting points on the basis of an accessdifficulty level for a user to reach the user's boarding/alighting pointfrom a point requested by the user and allocate a vehicle to theboarding/alighting point selected by the user (Patent Document 1).

PRIOR ART DOCUMENT Patent Document

-   [Patent Document 1] US2016/0370194A

SUMMARY OF INVENTION Problems to be Solved by Invention

If the boarding/alighting points are determined in response toindividual requests made by respective users, the boarding/alightingpoints may be set at positions close to each other. When the vehiclefollows all the set boarding/alighting points, the vehicle has to makefrequent stops, thus resulting in a problem in that the trip timeincreases. A problem to be solved by the present invention is to providean alighting point determination method and an alighting pointdetermination apparatus that prevent a vehicle from making frequentstops and suppress an increase in the trip time while responding to arequest from each user.

Means for Solving Problems

The present invention solves the above problem through specifying asecond user who is expected to alight in a predetermined range includinga point associated with a first user and calculating a common point atwhich users including at least the first user and the second useralight.

Effect of Invention

According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent a vehiclefrom making frequent stops and suppress an increase in the trip timewhile responding to a request from each user who desires the use of avehicle allocation system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block configuration diagram of a vehicle allocation systemincluding an alighting point determination apparatus according to one ormore embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block configuration diagram of a processor of the alightingpoint determination apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a chart illustrating an example of a control procedureexecuted in the vehicle allocation system including the alighting pointdetermination apparatus.

FIG. 4A is a diagram illustrating a first example of a scheme of settinga predetermined range in one or more embodiments of the presentinvention.

FIG. 4B is a diagram illustrating a second example of a scheme ofsetting a predetermined range in one or more embodiments of the presentinvention.

FIG. 5A is a diagram illustrating a first example of a scheme ofcalculating a common point for alighting.

FIG. 5B is a diagram illustrating a second example of a scheme ofcalculating a common point for alighting.

FIG. 5C is a diagram illustrating a third example of a scheme ofcalculating a common point for alighting.

MODE(S) FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, one or more embodiments of the present invention will bedescribed with reference to the drawings. The embodiments will bedescribed by exemplifying a case in which the alighting pointdetermination method and the alighting point determination apparatus areapplied to a vehicle allocation system.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the block configuration of a vehicleallocation system 1. The vehicle allocation system 1 according to one ormore embodiments of the present invention includes an alighting pointdetermination apparatus 100, a control apparatus 200 of a vehicle, and auser terminal apparatus 300. Each apparatus includes a processor(computer) that executes a calculation process and a communicationdevice. The alighting point determination apparatus 100, the controlapparatus 200 of a vehicle, and the user terminal apparatus 300 eachhave a communication function and exchange information with one anotherby wire communication or wireless communication.

One or more embodiments of the present invention will be described forthe vehicle allocation system 1 including the alighting pointdetermination apparatus 100 which primarily performs a process ofdetermining an alighting point.

Before alighting, the user was board, so the alighting pointdetermination apparatus 100 also performs a process of determining theboarding point. The scheme of determining the alighting point is notparticularly limited. Boarding point may be determined based on a user'srequest, or a predetermined point (appointed (designated) point) may bedetermined as a pick-up point. For example, it is a mode in which theuser's boarding at the stadium has already been decided and the useralights at the point (stadium) requested by the user.

In the vehicle allocation system 1 according to one or more embodimentsof the present invention, the alighting point determination apparatus100 is provided in a separate server apparatus capable of communicatingwith the control apparatus 200 and the user terminal apparatus 300. Thealighting point determination apparatus 100 may also be provided in thecontrol apparatus 200 equipped in a vehicle. The user terminal apparatus300 can communicate with the control apparatus 200 and another userterminal apparatus 300 and exchanges information including requests.

The user terminal apparatus 300 includes a processor 310, acommunication device 320, an input/output device 330, and a positiondetection device 340 that responds to the global positioning system(GPS) or the like. The processor 310 controls operations of thecommunication device 320 and the input/output device 330. Theinput/output device 330 includes a display 331, a speaker 332, and amicrophone for voice input, which is not illustrated. The display 331 isa touch panel-type display that has both an output (display) functionand an input reception function. The display 331 receives an input froma user. The processor 310 generates a request that is an electroniccommand in response to an input operation, and transmits the request tothe alighting point determination apparatus 100 via the communicationdevice 320. The processor 310 acquires an alighting point (predeterminedpoint) calculated by the alighting point determination apparatus 100 anddisplays it on the display 331. The processor 310 may display one ormore predetermined points on the display 331. The predetermined pointsinclude a request point (a destination, a desired alighting point, anexpected point at which alighting is desired, or an alighting pointbased on the past history) and a common point, which are each a pointbefore being set as an alighting point. The presentation form of eachpoint is not particularly limited.

A point on the map may be displayed with a mark such as a pin or a flag,and/or the address of a point may be displayed as text on the display331 or may also be output as voice via the speaker 332. The processor310 acquires a vehicle allocation plan created by the vehicle allocationsystem 1 and displays the vehicle allocation plan on the display 331.The vehicle allocation plan includes a vehicle to be allocated, a travelroute for the vehicle, a time of arrival at each predetermined point,and a time of arrival at a point at which a user alights (or boards).The processor 310 controls the speaker 332 to output an alert whenreceiving a new vehicle allocation plan, a change in the vehicleallocation plan, or the like.

The alighting point determination method according to one or moreembodiments of the present invention is carried out by the alightingpoint determination apparatus 100. As illustrated in FIG. 1, thealighting point determination apparatus 100 according to one or moreembodiments of the present invention is provided as an apparatus that isconfigured independently of the control apparatus 200 and the userterminal apparatus 300. In this case, the alighting point determinationapparatus 100 serves as a server apparatus configured on a networkthrough which communication is possible with the control apparatus 200of a vehicle and the user terminal apparatus 300. The alighting pointdetermination apparatus 100 is not limited in its installation form andmay also be equipped in the control apparatus 200.

The vehicle according to one or more embodiments of the presentinvention has an autonomous travel function. The control apparatus 200of a target vehicle controls the target vehicle to execute autonomoustraveling. The target vehicle is allocated to be used by one or moreusers. The automated driving (autonomous traveling) may be unmannedfully automated driving or may also be manned partially automateddriving. The scheme of autonomous traveling is not particularly limited.The control apparatus 200 recognizes a lane in which the target vehicle(subject vehicle) is traveling, and controls the movement of the targetvehicle so that the position of a lane marker of the lane and theposition of the target vehicle maintain a predetermined relationship.The control apparatus 200 controls the movement of the target vehicle sothat the distance along the road width direction from a lane marker of alane for vehicles to travel to the target vehicle (i.e., the lateralposition of the target vehicle) falls within a predetermined valuerange. The lane marker is not limited, provided that it has a functionof defining a lane. Examples of the lane marker may include line figuresdrawn on a road surface, luminous bodies embedded in a road, plantsexisting between lanes, and road structures existing on the roadshoulder side of a lane, such as guardrails, curbstones, sidewalks, andexclusive roads for two wheels. The target vehicle to be selected is avehicle that allows a user to board the earliest in response to theuser's request.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the control apparatus 200 of a vehicleaccording to one or more embodiments of the present invention includes acommunication device 40, a detection device 50, a sensor 60, a vehiclecontroller 70, a driving device 80, a steering device 90, an outputdevice 110, and a navigation device 120. These devices which constitutethe control apparatus 200 are connected to one another via a controllerarea network (CAN) or other onboard LAN to mutually exchangeinformation.

The detection device 50 detects the situation around the target vehicle.The detection device 50 detects the existence and existence position ofan object existing around the target vehicle. Although not particularlylimited, the detection device 50 according to one or more embodiments ofthe present invention includes a camera 51. The camera 51 is disposed ata predetermined position of the target vehicle and captures imagesaround the target vehicle. The camera 51 according to one or moreembodiments of the present invention is an imaging device including animaging element such as a CCD or a CMOS. The camera 51 may also be aninfrared camera or a stereo camera.

The detection device 50 according to one or more embodiments of thepresent invention has a radar device 52. Examples of the radar device 52may be those, such as millimeter-wave radar, laser radar, and ultrasonicradar, which are known at the time of filing the present application.The detection device 50 processes the acquired measurement data toacquire the distance from the target vehicle to an object existingaround the target vehicle and/or the direction in which the objectexists with respect to the target vehicle, on the basis of the positionof the object.

The above-described camera 51 and radar device 52 may be those disposedoutside the vehicle. For example, detection information acquired by acamera 51 and/or a radar device 52 provided in a road facility may beacquired via an external device of the intelligent transport system(ITS) or the like.

The sensor 60 according to one or more embodiments of the presentinvention includes a steering angle sensor 61 and a vehicle speed sensor62. The steering angle sensor 61 detects a traveling direction based onsteering information regarding the steering, such as the steeringamount, steering speed, and steering acceleration of the target vehicle,and transmits the detected traveling direction to the vehicle controller70. The vehicle speed sensor 62 detects a traveling speed (includingzero when stopping) based on the traveling direction of the targetvehicle, the vehicle speed/acceleration of the target vehicle, etc. andtransmits the detected traveling speed to the vehicle controller 70.

The vehicle controller 70 according to one or more embodiments of thepresent invention is an onboard computer such as an electronic controlunit (ECU) and electronically controls the driving of the vehicle. Thevehicle controller 70 includes a processor 71 that executes a process ofthe automated driving (autonomous traveling). The vehicle according toone or more embodiments of the present invention may be, for example, anelectric car having an electric motor as the traveling drive source, anengine car having an internal-combustion engine as the traveling drivesource, or a hybrid car having both an electric motor and an internalcombustion engine as the traveling drive sources. Examples of theelectric car or hybrid car having an electric motor as the travelingdrive source include a type in which the power source for the electricmotor is a secondary battery and a type in which the power source forthe electric motor is a fuel cell.

The driving device 80 according to one or more embodiments of thepresent invention includes a drive mechanism of the target vehicle. Thedrive mechanism includes an electric motor and/or an internal-combustionengine as the above-described traveling drive sources, a powertransmission device including a drive shaft and an automatictransmission that transmit the output of the traveling drive sources tothe drive wheels, and a braking device 81 that brakes the wheels. Thedriving device 80 generates respective control signals for thesecomponents of the drive mechanism and executes the travel controlincluding acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle. These controlsignals for the drive mechanism are generated on the basis of inputsignals by an accelerator operation and a brake operation and controlsignals acquired from the vehicle controller 70. Control information maybe transmitted to the driving device 80, which can thereby perform thetravel control including acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle in anautomated or autonomous manner. In the case of a hybrid car, the drivingdevice 80 may receive a ratio of the torque output to the electric motorand the torque output to the internal-combustion engine in accordancewith the traveling state of the vehicle.

The steering device 90 according to one or more embodiments of thepresent invention includes a steering actuator. The steering actuatorincludes a motor and other necessary components attached to the steeringcolumn shaft. The steering device 90 executes the control of changingthe traveling direction of the vehicle on the basis of a control signalacquired from the vehicle controller 70 or an input signal by thesteering operation. The vehicle controller 70 transmits the controlinformation including the steering amount to the steering device 90thereby to execute the control of changing the traveling direction.

The navigation device 120 has a position detection device 121, roadinformation 122 on the road type (right/left turn lane), road width,road shape, and others, and map information 123 including the roadinformation 122. The navigation device 120 calculates a route from thecurrent location detected by the position detection device 121 to thedestination and a way point on the route and outputs the routeinformation and the current location to the vehicle controller 70 of thetarget vehicle. Any of predetermined points (including the common point)based on the request points of users is the way point or destination ofthe target vehicle.

The vehicle controller 70 controls the vehicle to travel autonomously inaccordance with the route acquired from the navigation device 120. Thevehicle controller 70 also controls the vehicle to make a stopautonomously at the way point (predetermined point) acquired from thenavigation device 120. At the way point (predetermined point), thevehicle controller 70 controls the vehicle to execute unlocking andopening a door and then execute closing and locking the door after apredetermined time. The vehicle controller 70 controls the vehicle tostart and move to the next way point (predetermined point).

The output device 110 according to one or more embodiments of thepresent invention outputs information regarding the driving action basedon a driving plan. Execution of the steering operation and/oracceleration/deceleration is notified as the information regarding thedriving action via a display 111 and/or a speaker 112. Additionally oralternatively, the output device 110 according to one or moreembodiments of the present invention may output various informationitems regarding the travel assistance to an external device of theintelligent transport system (ITS) or the like via the communicationdevice 40.

The user terminal apparatus 300 will be described. The user terminalapparatus 300 is a small computer, such as a personal digital assistant(PDA) or a smartphone, which can be carried by a user. As illustrated inFIG. 1, the user terminal apparatus 300 includes the processor 310, thecommunication device 320, and the input/output device 330. The userterminal apparatus 300 exchanges information with the control apparatus200 of a vehicle and/or the alighting point determination apparatus 100via the communication device 320.

The input/output device 330 includes the display 331 and the speaker332. The display 331 is a touch panel-type display. The display 331receives the input of a request from a user. The request includesinformation associated with the user. The request includes a requestpoint, user identification information, reservation date and time,information for specifying a reserved vehicle, an attribute of the user,a preference of the user, a travel history of the user, a history of theboarding/alighting points of the user, etc. The request is transmittedto the alighting point determination apparatus 100. Request pointsinclude a boarding point, an alighting point, a destination, and acurrent location.

Each request point includes information on the point obtained from theinformation associated with the user who made the request, in additionto information on the point included in the request. Request pointsinclude a boarding point, an alighting point, and a destination that areexpected on the basis of the user's travel history and/orboarding/alighting history. Request points further include a boardingpoint, an alighting point, and a destination that are calculated on thebasis of the user's preference. Request points are included inpredetermined points for the vehicle allocation.

The alighting point determination apparatus 100 according to one or moreembodiments of the present invention will be described below. Thealighting point determination apparatus 100 according to one or moreembodiments of the present invention constitutes a part of the vehicleallocation system 1. The alighting point determination apparatus 100exchanges information with the control apparatus 200 of a vehicle andthe user terminal apparatus 300. The alighting point determinationapparatus 100 calculates the common point as an alighting point at whichone or more users alight from the vehicle.

The alighting point determination apparatus 100 according to one or moreembodiments of the present invention is a server configured on acommunication network.

The alighting point determination apparatus 100 determines an alightingpoint, creates a vehicle allocation plan, and generates an executioncommand for a vehicle allocation process. Separate processors may beequipped for creating the vehicle allocation plan and generating theexecution command for the vehicle allocation process, but in the presentexample, a processor 10 of the alighting point determination apparatus100 executes the vehicle allocation process in an integrated manner.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the alighting point determination apparatus100 according to one or more embodiments of the present inventionincludes the processor 10, a communication device 20, and an outputdevice 30. The communication device 20 exchanges information with thecontrol apparatus 200 of a vehicle and/or the user terminal apparatus300. The output device 30 presents the calculation result as necessary.

The processor 10 of the alighting point determination apparatus 100 is acomputer including a read only memory (ROM) 12 that stores programs forexecuting the movement of a target vehicle to be allocated to one ormore predetermined points including the calculated common point, acentral processing unit (CPU) 11 as an operation circuit that executesthe programs stored in the ROM 12 to serve as the alighting pointdetermination apparatus 100, and a random access memory (RAM) 13 thatserves as an accessible storage device.

The processor 10 of the alighting point determination apparatus 100according to one or more embodiments of the present invention has arequest acquisition function, a predetermined range setting function, auser specifying function, and a common point calculation function. Thecontrol device 10 according to one or more embodiments of the presentinvention executes each function by cooperation of software forachieving the above functions and the above-described hardware.

As an example, FIG. 2 illustrates functional blocks of the processor 10.As illustrated in FIG. 2, the processor 10 according to one or moreembodiments of the present invention includes a request acquisition unitA1 that acquires a request, a predetermined range setting unit A2 thatsets a predetermined range, a user specifying unit A3 that specifies auser, a common point calculation unit A4 that calculates a common pointfor alighting, a common point presentation unit A5 that presents thecommon point, a confirmation unit A6 that confirms an acceptance from auser, a common point setting unit A7 that sets the common point, a routecalculation unit A8 that calculates a route, and an autonomous travelcommand unit A9 that controls a vehicle to travel autonomously. Eachunit of the processor 10 calculates an operation command for performingeach of the above processes and transmits the command to the controlapparatus 200 or user terminal apparatus 300 in which the calculatedoperation command is executed.

The vehicle allocation system 1 according to one or more embodiments ofthe present invention includes a plurality of vehicles and controls eachvehicle to move to a predetermined point in response to the request froma user. Predetermined points include a boarding point or alighting pointdesired by a user or a current location or destination of a user.

The vehicle allocation system 1 may control a vehicle to move to apredetermined point on the basis of the request from a single user. Thisis a case in which a vehicle moves to a request point of a single userwho desires alighting, on the basis of the request from the user. Thevehicle allocation system 1 may control a vehicle to move to apredetermined point on the basis of the requests from a plurality ofusers. This is a case in which a vehicle with one or more users alreadyon board moves to another user's boarding point or alighting point.

The alighting point determination apparatus 100, which is a serverapparatus, at least temporarily stores vehicle information acquired fromthe control apparatuses 200 of a plurality of vehicles that can betargets of vehicle allocation. The vehicle information includes generalinformation indicating a vehicle state managed by a vehicle, such as thepositional information, traveling direction, vehicle speed, steeringamount, remaining energy amount, door lock information, seat beltattachment/detachment information, seating information, and automated(autonomous) driving situation of the vehicle, which are associated withthe identification information of the vehicle. The alighting pointdetermination apparatus 100 stores information regarding vehicleallocation control, such as a request for vehicle allocation, anexecution situation (progress information) of a vehicle allocation plan,the presence/absence and number of users on board, a boarding/alightingstatus (progress of boarding/alighting in the vehicle allocation plan),arrival at a predetermined point, and specifying of the nextpredetermined point. The information regarding the vehicle allocationcontrol is associated with identification information of a vehicleand/or identification information of a user. The alighting pointdetermination apparatus 100 stores the request from a user, pastrequests from the user, a past use history of the user, an attribute ofthe user, and a requirement from the user, which are associated with theidentification information of the user.

Each function of the alighting point determination apparatus 100according to one or more embodiments of the present invention will thenbe described along the control procedure. FIG. 3 illustrates an exampleof a control procedure executed in the vehicle allocation system 1including the alighting point determination apparatus 100.

In step 101, the processor 10 acquires the request from a user whodesires the use of the vehicle allocation system. The request includes arequest point, request date and time, user identification information,information for specifying a reserved vehicle, an attribute of the user,a requirement from the user, a preference of the user, a usage historyof the user, a history of the boarding/alighting points of the user,etc.

Information included in a request will be described. Request pointsinclude the destination of a user or an alighting point desired by theuser to alight. The destination is a point at which a user havingalighted will finally arrive after alighting. It is convenient for auser that the destination and the alighting point are close to eachother because the movement amount of the user is small. The requestpoint may be one of a plurality of points including stop-off points (waypoints). The request point may be represented by coordinate values suchas latitude and longitude or may also be represented by identificationinformation of a facility such as a stop or a station. The request pointdoes not necessarily require positional information (coordinate values).The position in the identification information is acquired withreference to the map information 123. The request in which the currentlocation of a user is set as the request point is a requirement from theuser who desires the vehicle allocation to the location at which theuser is located (current location). The request in which the alightingpoint designated by a user is set as the request point is a requirementfrom the user who needs to alight at a point desired by the user.

Request points included in the requests for desired alighting include analighting point desired by a user, the destination of a user, or analighting point at which a user is expected to alight. Information onthe expected alighting point includes a preference of the user, a usagehistory of the user, and a history of past alighting points. Thedestination as the request point may be represented by input informationof a route search or the like input to the user terminal apparatus 300or may also be represented by an estimation result based on the user'sschedule or action history. The destination estimated by the processor310 may be automatically transmitted to the vehicle allocation system 1including the alighting point determination apparatus 100 via thecommunication device 320.

Before alighting, the user was board on the basis of the request.Request points included in the requests for desired boarding include aboarding point desired by a user, the current location of the user, or aboarding point at which a user is expected to board. Information on theexpected boarding point includes a preference of the user, a usagehistory of the user, and a history of past boarding points. The currentlocation as the request point may be represented by a detection resultof the position detection device 340 of the user terminal apparatus 300.The current location detected by the position detection device 340 maybe automatically transmitted at a predetermined cycle to the vehicleallocation system including the alighting point determination apparatus100 via the communication device 320. A request for alighting may betransmitted to the vehicle allocation system 1 together with the requestfor boarding. According to one or more embodiments of the presentinvention, the boarding point is not particularly limited, and may be apredetermined point (a stadium gate) or the like.

The user identification information is information for specifying auser. The request date and time are the date and time at which thevehicle allocation is desired (the date and time at which the boardingis desired or the date and time at which the alighting is desired (thetime slot in which the boarding is desired or the time slot in which thealighting is desired)). The information for specifying a vehicle isinformation for a user to specify a desired vehicle. Examples of thedesired vehicle include those having functions that satisfy the needs ofusers, such as a vehicle that can accommodate a desired number of users,a vehicle that can store a suitcase, a vehicle that can store awheelchair, and a vehicle that is equipped with a child seat.

Attributes of a user include the user's age, user's gender, user'spreference, user's schedule, user's usage history, history of the user'sboarding/alighting points, and the form of a baggage carried by the user(a suitcase, a luggage having a predetermined size or more, or a luggagehaving a predetermined length or more). The requirement from a userincludes information as to whether to accept or refuse ride-sharing.

The requirement from a user includes a required matter regardingmovement. The vehicle allocation plan is created with reference to therequirement from a user. In one or more embodiments of the presentinvention, the designation of a request point is received, but the pointfor a vehicle to actually drop off an occupant may be a common pointdifferent from the request point; therefore, a user may be required tomove to a destination from the common point or move to the common point.The user can preliminarily provide a restriction on the requiredmovement in the request. The restriction on movement can be designatedas a restriction value on any of a distance, a movement time, a walkingtime, and an altitude difference. By including this restriction in therequest, it is possible to refuse boarding or alighting at a commonpoint that requires movement of a restriction value (such as arestriction distance) or more. When a restriction on movement isprovided, the user is required to move within the restricted range,which the user sets for himself/herself, around the boarding oralighting.

For example, when alighting, the user can alight at a common point towhich the walking time is X minutes or less or the walking distance is acertain distance or less from the request point (the destination, adesired alighting point, or an expected alighting point) and at whichthe user can arrive along a route with an up-and-down slope (an altitudedifference) of Ym or less. When boarding, the user can board at a commonpoint to which the walking time is X minutes or less or the walkingdistance is a certain distance or less from the request point (thecurrent location, a desired boarding point, or an expected boardingpoint etc.) and at which the user can arrive along a route with anup-and-down slope (an altitude difference) of Y m or less.

In step 102, the processor 10 acquires a request point included in therequest. Request points regarding the alighting include a desiredalighting point, the destination, an expected point at which the userdesires to alight, and a point at which the user tends to alight. Thedestination is a point at which a user having alighted will finallyarrive after alighting. Request points regarding the boarding include adesired boarding point, the current location, an expected point at whichthe user desires to board, and a point at which the user tends to board.The destination in the alighting request is a point to which the usermoves after alighting.

The processor 10 can calculate and obtain the request point frominformation associated with the user included in the request. Theprocessor 10 may calculate the user's boarding or alighting point fromthe user's schedule included in the request. The processor 10 mayestimate a destination at which the user stops off from the user'spreference included in the request and calculate a boarding or alightingpoint for reaching the destination. The processor 10 may estimate adestination at which the user stops off from the history of the userincluded in the request and calculate a boarding or alighting point forreaching the destination.

In step 103, the processor 10 sets a predetermined range. Thepredetermined range is a range in which one trip (vehicle allocationservice) for moving a vehicle is performed in response to the requestsfrom users.

The predetermined range may be an area that is preliminarily set. Apredetermined section may be defined as the predetermined range on thebasis of the latitude and longitude (coordinates) on the map information123. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 4A, a predetermined range Q1may be set as a range that is preliminarily defined by (X2, Y2) inaccordance with a mesh section of the map information 123. The shape ofthe predetermined range is not limited. The shape of the predeterminedrange may be any of a polygon, a circle/ellipse, and a shape having anirregular outer edge. The scheme of defining the size of thepredetermined range is not limited, but the predetermined range is setas a common-sense range so that a user (person) can access thepredetermined point on foot. For example, in the case of a rectangularpredetermined range, the size of the predetermined range may be 1 kmsquare. By preliminarily defining the predetermined range, it ispossible to reduce the load of a process of specifying a user. Theposition of a predetermined point of interesting (POI) may be employedas a reference point.

As illustrated in FIG. 4B, a predetermined range Q2 (illustrated by abroken line) may be defined using a request point or the like as thereference point. For example, the predetermined range Q2 correspondingto a user D1 who made a vehicle allocation request may be set withreference to a request point PD1 of the boarding user D1. Thepredetermined range Q2 may also be set as an area that includes a userrange QD1 based on the request point PD1 of the user D1. For example,the predetermined range Q2 may be set so as to include request pointsPD1, PD2, PD3 (arrival points such as destination point, and alightingpoint) of a plurality of users D1, D2, and D3 who made the vehicleallocation requests. In the example illustrated in the figure, thepredetermined range Q2 is set as a circular area having a constantradius, for example, 500 m, around the request point PD1 of the user D1who made the vehicle allocation request.

The request point of a user as a reference when setting thepredetermined range Q2 may be the request point of a user from whom avehicle allocation request is newly acquired or may also be the requestpoint of the user for whom execution (vehicle allocation) of the requesthas already been performed. The range in which walking is possible isset using information on the route which is included in the mapinformation 123 and along which walking is possible. The predeterminedrange Q2 may be set as a range that can be reached within apredetermined time (e.g., within 5 minutes) from the request point(departure point) of the user D1 or may also be set as an area includingthe user range QD1 that can be reached on foot within 3 minutes. Bysetting the predetermined range Q2 so as to include the request points,it is possible to create the vehicle allocation plan in which thepredetermined points are set, including the alighting points along thedesires of users.

In a process of setting the predetermined range Q2 on the basis of therequest points, user ranges QD1 and QD2 may be set in accordance withthe request points of respective users, and the predetermined range Q2may be set to include the user ranges QD1 and QD2. When thepredetermined range Q2 is set from the user ranges QD1 and QD2 based onthe request points, the attribute of each user included in the requestis taken into account. That is, the user ranges QD1 and QD2 are set onthe basis of the attributes of the users. When the attribute of the userD2 is being an elderly person, a child, or a person with a child,carrying a large/heavy baggage, or having a handicap such as an injury,the size (diameter) of the user range QD2 is set small. On the otherhand, when the attribute of the user D1 is not being an elderly person,a child, or a person with a child, carrying a small/light baggage, orhaving no handicap such as an injury, the size (diameter) of the userrange QD1 is set relatively large. By taking into account the attributesof users when setting a predetermined range Q, it is possible to createthe vehicle allocation plan in which the predetermined points are set,including the alighting points determined to give importance to theconvenience of the users.

In step 104, the processor 10 specifies a user who is expected to alightat a point included in the predetermined range. The processor 10 narrowsdown users who board the vehicle or alight from the vehicle within thepredetermined range as the targets and attempts to make a vehicleallocation plan in which the narrowed-down users are allowed toboard/alight. Points included in the predetermined range include arequest point and a common point. When the predetermined range is set onthe basis of a request point, users are specified on the basis of one ormore request points. By specifying the users on the basis of the requestpoints, it is possible to create the vehicle allocation plan in whichthe predetermined points are set, including the alighting points alongthe desires of users. Users targeted for the vehicle allocation plan arenot limited to the users who board/alight within the predeterminedrange, and all the users who transmitted requests may be targeted.

In step 105, the processor 10 calculates a common point at which aspecified user alights as the predetermined point. A single common pointmay be calculated or a plurality of common points may also becalculated.

The processor 10 may calculate a common point that is a point at which aplurality of users of specified users alights. The common point in thiscase is a predetermined point at which the plurality of users gettogether and then alight. The plurality of users is allowed to alight atone common point; therefore, the number of stops can be reduced, and onetrip time can be shortened when compared on the same route. By reducingthe number of stops, it is possible to suppress the energy consumption,improve the fuel efficiency of the vehicle, and reduce the time requiredfor passing from the first predetermined point to the last predeterminedpoint in the vehicle allocation service.

Schemes of calculating a common point will then be described withreference to FIGS. 5A to 5C.

<First Scheme>

The processor 10 calculates the common point on the basis of the requestpoint included in the request from a user. The common point may be thecenter or weighted center of an area that includes the request points ofa plurality of users. When there is a place in which an evacuation areaor the like is set in an area including the request points of aplurality of users (a place in which it is easy for the vehicle topark), the place is set as the common point. By calculating the commonpoint on the basis of the request points, it is possible to create thevehicle allocation plan in which the common point is set along thedesires of users.

<Second Scheme>

As illustrated in FIG. 5A, the common point PC1 may be a request pointrelated to a request of one user from among a plurality of users. Whenthe execution of the request for allocation is already determined, therequest point PD1 may be set as the common point PC1. The request pointPD1 of the user D1 who requests the allocation first among the pluralityof users D1 and D2 is defined as a common point PC1. Although notillustrated, the request point PD2 indicated by the request of the userD2 who has recently (later) requested among the multiple users D1 and D2may be set as the common point. When there is one user, that is, whenthere is one request point, a point near the request point is set as thecommon point. By setting the request point of a user as the commonpoint, it is possible to create the vehicle allocation plan in which thecommon point is set along the desire of the user. Additionally oralternatively, when there is a place in which it is easy for the vehicleto park, such as a place in which an evacuation area or the like is setnear the request point, the point of the place is set as the commonpoint.

The common point may be calculated as a point at which a plurality ofusers of specified users alights. The common point in this case is apredetermined point at which the plurality of users gets together andthen alight. The plurality of users is allowed to alight at one commonpoint; therefore, the number of stops can be reduced, and one trip timecan be shortened. By reducing the number of stops, it is possible tosuppress the energy consumption, improve the fuel efficiency of thevehicle, and reduce the time required for passing from the firstpredetermined point to the last predetermined point in the vehicleallocation service. The same effects can be obtained also in the thirdschemes.

<Third Scheme>

The processor 10 sets the common point to a point for which adetermination is made that the access costs for a plurality of users areequivalent. In this scheme, the access cost for a user who desires toalight is a cost calculated from the distance for the user to reach adestination (request point) from an arbitrary point (common point), thetime for the user to reach the destination (request point) from thearbitrary point (common point), or the load for the user to reach thedestination (request point) from the arbitrary point (common point). Theuser alights and goes to the request point. The request point includes afinal destination of the users and a waypoint (station) for reaching thefinal destination of the users.

For an arbitrary point, the processor 10 calculates the access costs fora plurality of users. The access cost regarding the arrival time for theuser and the access cost regarding the distance for the user aredetermined through referring to the map information 123 to calculate thedistance from an arbitrary point (common point) to the request point(desired alighting point, destination), reading the walking speed of ageneral pedestrian, which is preliminarily stored, and calculating thetime until the user arrives at the request point from the arbitrarypoint or the time at which the user arrives at the request point fromthe arbitrary point. The access cost regarding the arrival time of auser may be affected by the attribute of the user. The processor 10 maycalculate the access cost by setting the walking speed to be lower asthe age of the user is a predetermined value (old age) or more and theage is higher. The processor 10 may also calculate the access cost bysetting the walking speed to be lower as the age of the user is lessthan a predetermined value (child) and the age is lower. When the usercarries a large baggage such as a suitcase, the processor 10 maycalculate the access cost by setting the walking speed to be lower thanwhen the user does not carry such a baggage.

The processor 10 sequentially sets an arbitrary point on the route as aprovisional common point, obtains respective routes for users from theprovisional common point to the request point, and calculates the timerequired for each user to reach the request point along the route forthe user. A provisional common point having the smallest arrival timedifference at the request point from the provisional common point isobtained as the common point to which the access costs for the users areequivalent. Provisional common points may be preliminarily registered inthe map information 123. The provisional common points to bepreliminarily set may be set by selecting points to which the accessdifficulty level, which represents the difficulty for the vehicle tomake a stop, is less than a predetermined value (access cost is low).

The distance and time for a user to reach the request point from anarbitrary point (common point) on foot may be determined by taking intoaccount not only the length of a road in the map information 123 butalso a specific position of the request point, such as the floor of afacility or the position in the facility. In a large facility, thedistance (required time) from an entrance to a destination (shop) isnecessary for the user and may affect the distance (required time) tothe request point. The processor 10 refers to a map of the facility inthe map information 123 to calculate the distance (required time) fromthe entrance to the destination in the facility.

The access cost regarding the load can be set in accordance with theattribute of a user. The access cost regarding the load may be added tothe access cost regarding the distance or time or may also be used as aweighting coefficient for the access cost regarding the distance ortime. When there is an altitude difference of a predetermined value ormore along the route from an arbitrary point (common point) to therequest point, the access cost regarding the load is calculated high.For example, when the user has to cross the overpass of a gradeseparation to move from an arbitrary point (common point) to the requestpoint, the access cost is calculated high. This is because theup-and-down load on the overpass stairs is taken into account. Whenthere is a slope along the route from an arbitrary point (common point)to the request point and the user goes up the slope, the access cost iscalculated higher than when going down the slope. This is because theload of going up the slope is taken into account. The slope of a routecan be acquired from the road information 122. When the user has tocross a pedestrian crosswalk along the route from an arbitrary point(common point) to the request point, the access cost is calculated high.This is because the load of moving to the opposite lane is taken intoaccount.

When the request point is in a large facility, the access cost iscalculated high. This is because the load of moving from an entrance toa destination in the facility is taken into account.

When a user carries a large baggage in the attribute of the userobtained with the request, the access cost is calculated high. This isbecause the load of carrying the baggage is taken into account. When theage of a user is a predetermined value (old age) or more in theattribute of the user obtained with the request, the higher the age, thehigher the access cost is calculated, while when the age is less than apredetermined value (child), the lower the age, the higher the accesscost is calculated. When the distance or time accepted for movement isless than a predetermined value in the requirement from a user obtainedwith the request, the access cost is calculated higher than otherwise.This is because individual differences in the acceptance for movementare taken into account.

The calculation result of the access cost regarding the load may be usedas a weighting coefficient for calculating the access cost regarding thedistance/time. The coefficient can be set such that the access costregarding the distance/time is a higher value as the value of the accesscost regarding the load increases.

The processor 10 compares the access cost for a first user with theaccess cost for a second user different from the first user. Theprocessor 10 calculates, as the common point, an arbitrary point forwhich a determination is made that the access costs regarding thetime/distance/load from the common point to the request point(destination) are equivalent, that is, an arbitrary point for which adetermination is made that the difference between the arrivaltime/distance/load for the first user to reach the request point fromthe common point and the arrival time/distance/load for the second userto reach the reach the request point from the common point is less thana predetermined value or minimized. This common point is thepredetermined point to which the target vehicle to be allocated movesand one or more users alight. The common point is the user's thealighting points.

Here, the first user and the second user are described, but also forthree or more users, the common point is calculated as an arbitrarypoint for which a determination is made that the difference between thearrival time/distance/load for a user to reach the request point fromthe common point and the arrival time/distance/load for another user toreach the common point is less than a predetermined value.

As illustrated in FIG. 5B, a common point PC1 is calculated as theposition at which a distance DD1 (time TD1) for a user D1 to reach arequest point PB1 from the common point PC1 is substantially equal to adistance DD2 (time TD2) for a user D2 to reach the request point PB2from the common point PC1. Under the condition that the distance DD1(time TD1) and the distance DD2 (time TD2) are substantially equal, theusers D1 and D2 moving from the common point PC1 to the request points(PB1, PB2) undertake similar access costs (walking distances, walkingtime, loads such as going up and down). This allows the vehicle to beallocated so that a plurality of users shares the same level of accesscost, and the reliability of the system for the users can be enhanced.

<Fourth Scheme>

The processor 10 calculates the access cost for a vehicle from an accessdifficulty level for the vehicle to reach the common point andcalculates, as the common point, a point to which the access cost forthe vehicle is lower than a predetermined value.

For each of arbitrary points, the processor 10 calculates the accessdifficulty level for a vehicle. The access difficulty level for avehicle is determined, for example, using the access time or accessdistance to an arbitrary point (common point), the allowed staying timeat an arbitrary point (common point), the presence or absence of atraffic signal (or the number of traffic signals) on the route to anarbitrary point (common point), and/or the necessity of a U-turn on theroute to an arbitrary point (common point). The access cost iscalculated as a higher value as the value of the access time or accessdistance for a vehicle to reach an arbitrary point (common point)increases. The access cost is calculated as a higher value as theallowed staying time at an arbitrary point (common point) decreases. Theallowed staying time may be set in accordance with the traffic volume.As the traffic volume at an arbitrary point (common point) increases,the allowed staying time decreases, and the access cost is thereforecalculated as a higher value. When there is a traffic signal on theroute to an arbitrary point (common point), the access cost iscalculated as a higher value than when there is no traffic signal. Theaccess cost is calculated as a higher value as the number of trafficsignals on the route to an arbitrary point (common point) increases.When a U-turn is required on the route to an arbitrary point (commonpoint), the access cost is calculated to a higher value than when noU-turn is required.

The processor 10 compares the access cost to each arbitrary point(common point) with a set threshold. The processor 10 calculates, as thecommon point, an arbitrary point to which the access cost is a lowervalue than a predetermined value. This common point is the predeterminedpoint to which the allocated vehicle moves.

As illustrated in FIG. 5C, the processor 10 calculates a point to whichan access cost AV1 is a lower value than a predetermined value as acommon point PC1. The route search process may include preliminarilycalculating the access cost AV1 to each arbitrary point (common point)and storing the calculated access cost AV1 as a part of the mapinformation 123. This allows the point with a low access cost for thevehicle to be selected as the common point, and it is possible to ensurethat the vehicle is controlled to make a stop at the common point andthe user is allowed to alight at the common point.

Referring again to FIG. 3, in step 106, the processor 10 presents thecalculated common point to each user using the user terminal apparatus300. A single common point may be presented or a plurality of commonpoints may also be presented. In step 107, the processor 10 makes aninquiry to the user about the user's acceptance of the common point viathe user terminal apparatus 300. The processor 10 controls the userterminal apparatus 300 to output a message for confirming the user'sintention, such as «Do you accept alighting at the common point?», or«Do you fix the reservation?». The user terminal apparatus 300 receivesthe input of an acceptance instruction for the common point. Theacceptance instruction includes an input command for selecting onecommon point from among a plurality of common points. In this case, theprocessor 10 controls the user terminal apparatus 300 to output amessage for confirming the user's selection intention and usageintention, such as «There is a plurality of alighting point candidates.Please specify the alighting point».

In step 107, the processor 10 confirms the user's acceptance. When theuser's acceptance is not obtained, the process proceeds to step 112, inwhich the request for alighting (or boarding) is canceled. When theuser's acceptance is obtained, the process proceeds to step 108, inwhich one accepted common point is set as the predetermined point. Thepredetermined point is a point to which the allocated vehicle iscontrolled to move and at which the user is allowed to alight (orboarding). Thus, each predetermined point to which the vehicle iscontrolled to move is calculated after confirming the user's acceptance,and the user can therefore alight at a point that matches the user'sintention.

In step 109, the processor 10 controls the navigation device 120 tocalculate a route for sequentially following the predetermined points.The processor 10 creates a vehicle allocation plan in accordance withthe calculated route. The processor 10 selects a vehicle closest to thestart point of the route (predetermined point to be followed first) asthe target vehicle to be allocated.

In step 110, the processor 10 transmits, to the vehicle controller 70 ofthe target vehicle, the created vehicle allocation plan and aninstruction for the target vehicle to autonomously move along thevehicle allocation plan. The vehicle allocation plan includes thepredetermined points at which the vehicle picks up/drops off the usersand the route for following the predetermined points. The vehiclecontroller 70 executes the above-described autonomous travel control onthe basis of the vehicle allocation plan and controls the vehicle tomove along the route.

On the basis of the vehicle allocation plan, the vehicle controller 70controls the vehicle to make stops at the predetermined points(including the common point and one or more request points) locatedalong the route and opens the door for a boarding or alighting.

After the door is opened, the door is closed when a predetermined timehas elapsed. The processor 10 controls the vehicle controller to confirmthat the vehicle has stopped. Execution of alighting (or boarding) isconfirmed on the basis of the detection results from a door lock sensor(not illustrated), a seating sensor (not illustrated), and a seat beltsensor (not illustrated) included in the sensor 60 and images capturedby a vehicle interior camera (not illustrated) included in the detectiondevice 50. After the users' alighting (or boarding) included in thevehicle allocation plan is completed, the vehicle is controlled to moveto the next predetermined point. The processor 10 creates a vehicleallocation plan for another target vehicle and transmits an instructionfor the target vehicle to autonomously move along the vehicle allocationplan to the vehicle controller 70 of the target vehicle.

In this example, the alighting point determination apparatus 100operates to control the creation/execution of the vehicle allocationplan. The creation/execution of the vehicle allocation plan may beexecuted by a processor (not illustrated) provided separately in thevehicle allocation system 1.

The alighting point determination apparatus 100 according to one or moreembodiments of the present invention is configured and operates as theabove and therefore has the following effects.

(1) The alighting point determination method according to one or moreembodiments of the present invention includes specifying a second userwho is expected to alight in a predetermined range including a pointassociated with a first user and calculating, as the predeterminedpoint, a common point at which users including at least the first userand the second user alight, and it is therefore possible to prevent avehicle from making frequent stops and suppress an increase in the triptime while responding to the request from each user who desires the useof the vehicle allocation system. By reducing the number of stops, it ispossible to suppress the energy consumption, improve the fuel efficiencyof the vehicle, and reduce the time required for passing from the firstpredetermined point to the last predetermined point in the vehicleallocation service.

According to the alighting point determination method in one or moreembodiments of the present invention, one vehicle is used by a pluralityof users and it is therefore possible to prevent the vehicle from makingfrequent stops and suppress an increase in the trip time. By reducingthe number of stops, it is possible to suppress the energy consumption,improve the fuel efficiency of the vehicle, and reduce the time requiredfor passing from the first predetermined point to the last predeterminedpoint in the vehicle allocation service. Moreover, the usage efficiencyof the vehicle can be improved.

According to the alighting point determination method in one or moreembodiments of the present invention, the processor operates tocalculate the common point that is a point at which a plurality of usersof specified users alight. The common point is a predetermined point atwhich the vehicle and one or more users get off together. The pluralityof users is allowed to alight at one common point; therefore, the numberof stops can be reduced, and one trip time (the time required forpassing from the first predetermined point to the last predeterminedpoint in the vehicle allocation service) can be shortened. By reducingthe number of stops, it can be expected to suppress the energyconsumption and improve the fuel efficiency of the vehicle.

(2) According to the alighting point determination method in one or moreembodiments of the present invention, users are specified on the basisof one or more request points and it is therefore possible to calculatethe predetermined points including the alighting points along thedesires of users. The users who share a ride on a vehicle and then getoff from a vehicle can be preliminarily specified; therefore,unnecessary information is not given to unrelated users and the systemload can be reduced.

(3) According to the boarding point determination method in one or moreembodiments of the present invention, by calculating the common point onthe basis of the request point, it is possible to calculate the commonpoint along the desire of a user. The common point is calculated on thebasis of the request point of a user, and a reasonable common point cantherefore be calculated with consideration for the distance to therequest point. When there is a plurality of specified users, a commonpoint reasonable for the plurality of users can be calculated on thebasis of the request points of the plurality of users. When there is onespecified user, a common point reasonable for the user can be calculatedon the basis of the request point of the user.

(4) According to the alighting point determination method in one or moreembodiments of the present invention, by calculating/determining therequest point of a user as the common point, it is possible to calculatethe common point along the desire of the user. A request point may beset as the common point. Among the request points of a plurality ofusers, one request point of a user or request points of a plurality ofusers may be set as the common point, and the number of users moving tothe request point from the common point can therefore be minimized. Theprocess of calculating the common point is not required, and the systemload can therefore be reduced. When there is one specified user, acommon point reasonable for the user and a vehicle to be allocated canbe obtained without a calculation load because the request point of theuser is set as the common point.

(5) According to the alighting point determination method in one or moreembodiments of the present invention, the request point is set as thealighting point desired by a user, or the destination point of a user,and the common point can thereby be calculated as a point that isconvenient for a user who desires alighting.

(6) According to the alighting point determination method in one or moreembodiments of the present invention, the cost calculated from any oneof the time for a user to reach the request point from the common point,the distance for the user to reach the request point from the commonpoint, and the load for the user to reach the request point from thecommon point, is calculated as the access cost for the user, and a pointfor which a determination is made that the access cost for a first userand the access cost for a second user are equivalent is calculated asthe common point. This allows the vehicle to be allocated so that aplurality of users shares the same level of access cost, and thereliability of the system for the users can thus be enhanced.

(7) According to the alighting point determination method in one or moreembodiments of the present invention, the access cost for a vehicle iscalculated from the access difficulty level for the vehicle to reach thecommon point, and a point to which the access cost for the vehicle is alower value than a predetermined value is calculated as the commonpoint. It is therefore possible to ensure that the vehicle is controlledto make a stop at the common point and a user is allowed to alight atthe common point.

(8) According to the alighting point determination method in one or moreembodiments of the present invention, the predetermined range is set asan area that is preliminarily set, and the load of the calculationprocess for specifying a user can therefore be reduced.

(9) According to the alighting point determination method in one or moreembodiments of the present invention, by determining the predeterminedrange so as to include the request points, users can be narrowed down tothose located in the vicinity of respective request points, and thepredetermined points can therefore be set to include the alightingpoints along the desires of users. The predetermined range is determinedin accordance with the users' request points which change from moment tomoment, and the predetermined range can therefore be set in accordancewith the current situation to specify the users.

(10) According to the alighting point determination method in one ormore embodiments of the present invention, the predetermined range isset on the basis of attributes of users who made requests, and thepredetermined points can be set, including the alighting pointsdetermined to give importance to the convenience of the users.

(11) According to the alighting point determination method in one ormore embodiments of the present invention, an inquiry is made to a userabout an acceptance of the common point, and the common point is set asthe predetermined position when the acceptance is obtained from theuser; therefore, the user is allowed to alight at the point whichmatches the user's intention.

(12) According to the alighting point determination method in one ormore embodiments of the present invention, the vehicle has an autonomoustravel function. By calculating the common point, it is possible toreduce the number of points at which the autonomously traveling vehiclemakes stops to allow the users to alight, thus reducing the trip time.The autonomous traveling is performed on the basis of the vehicleallocation plan in which the predetermined points are defined to allowthe users to alight, and human errors do not occur, such as the vehiclepassing through the predetermined point without noticing the stop point.

(13) The alighting point determination apparatus 100 according to one ormore embodiments of the present invention has similar actions andeffects to those obtained by the above-described alighting pointdetermination method.

Embodiments heretofore explained are described to facilitateunderstanding of the present invention and are not described to limitthe present invention. It is therefore intended that the elementsdisclosed in the above embodiments include all design changes andequivalents to fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

-   1 Vehicle allocation system-   100 Alighting point determination apparatus-   10 Processor-   11 CPU-   12 ROM-   13 RAM-   20 Communication device-   30 Output device-   200 Control device, onboard apparatus-   40 Communication device-   50 Detection device-   51 Camera-   52 Radar device-   53 Vehicle diagnosis device-   60 Sensor-   61 Steering angle sensor-   62 Vehicle speed sensor-   70 Vehicle controller-   71 Processor-   80 Driving device-   81 Braking device-   90 Steering device-   110 Output device-   111 Display-   112 Speaker-   120 Navigation device-   121 Position detection device-   122 Road information-   123 Map information-   300 User terminal apparatus-   310 Processor-   311 CPU-   312 ROM-   313 RAM-   320 Communication device-   330 Input/output device-   331 (Touch panel-type) display-   332 Speaker-   340 Position detection device

1. An alighting point determination method used in a vehicle allocationsystem configured to move a vehicle to a predetermined point in responseto a request from a user, the vehicle allocation system comprising aprocessor, the processor operating to: set a predetermined rangeincluding a point associated with a first user; specify a second userwho is expected to alight in the predetermined range; acquire a requestpoint included in the request from each user; calculate an access costfor each user to reach the request point from a common point at whichthe users including at least the first user and the second user alight;and calculate as the predetermined point the common point obtained basedon the calculated access cost for each of the first user and the seconduser.
 2. The alighting point determination method according to claim 1,wherein each request includes a request point of the user, and theprocessor operates to specify the users on the basis of one or more ofthe request points.
 3. The alighting point determination methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the request includes a request point ofthe user, and the processor operates to calculate the common point on abasis of the request point.
 4. The alighting point determination methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the request includes a request point ofthe user, and the processor operates to set the request point of a useras the common point.
 5. The alighting point determination methodaccording to claim 3, wherein the request point is an alighting pointdesired by the user, or a destination point of the user.
 6. Thealighting point determination method according to claim 1, wherein theprocessor operates to: calculate a cost calculated from any one or moreof a distance for the user to reach the request point from the commonpoint, a time for the user to reach the request point from the commonpoint, and a load for the user to reach the request point from thecommon point as an access cost for the user; compare the access cost forthe first user with the access cost for the second user different fromthe first user; and calculate as the common point a point for which adetermination is made that the access cost for the first user and theaccess cost for the second user are equivalent.
 7. The alighting pointdetermination method according to claim 1, wherein the processoroperates to: calculate an access cost for the vehicle from an accessdifficulty level for the vehicle to reach the common point; andcalculate as the common point a point to which the access cost for thevehicle is a lower value than a predetermined value.
 8. The alightingpoint determination method according to claim 1, wherein thepredetermined range is an area that is preliminarily set.
 9. Thealighting point determination method according to claim 1, wherein therequest includes a request point of the user, and the processor operatesto determine the predetermined range so as to include the request point.10. The alighting point determination method according to claim 1,wherein the processor operates to set the predetermined range on a basisof an attribute of the user who made the request.
 11. The alightingpoint determination method according to claim 1, wherein the processoroperates to: notify the user of the common point; make an inquiry to theuser about an acceptance of the common point; and set the common pointas the predetermined position when the acceptance is obtained from theuser.
 12. The alighting point determination method according to claim 1,wherein the vehicle has an autonomous travel function.
 13. An alightingpoint determination apparatus used in a vehicle allocation systemconfigured to move a vehicle to a predetermined point in response to arequest from a user, the alighting point determination apparatuscomprising a processor, the processor operating to: set a predeterminedrange including a point associated with a first user; specify a seconduser who is expected to alight in the predetermined range; acquire arequest point included in the request from each user; calculate anaccess cost for each user to reach the request point from a common pointat which the users including at least the first user and the second useralight; and calculate as the predetermined point the common pointobtained based on the calculated access cost for each user.
 14. Thealighting point determination method according to claim 4, wherein therequest point is an alighting point desired by the user, or adestination point of the user.